Sports Biblio Digest, 12.22.19: Notable Sports Books of 2019
News, Views and Reviews About Sports Books, History and Culture
In This Issue: Candor from Joe Willie; Tiger’s Comeback; Oscar Charleston; Baseball and Architecture; Basketball’s First Olympics; Joe Frazier; Sid Luckman’s Family Tree; A Cricket Writing Legend; Australian Football Scribes; Rugby in Fiji; Trump on the Links
* * * * * * * *
To close out the year, I’ve chosen 50 books published during 2019 across genres, sports, and nations (most of them English-speaking) that are noteworthy for a variety of reasons and that fit many of the topical areas explored on Sports Biblio: Sports history, culture, the arts and more.
The format and descriptions are similar to end-of-year listings in previous years, and come as I take a break for a couple of weeks for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
I’ve enjoyed another year of passing along links, reviews and observations exploring the imagination of sports. Thanks to many of you for offering your own suggestions, correcting mistakes and staying in touch.
The newsletter will return in January.
Thanks for your readership and Happy New Year! Whatever’s on your bookshelf for 2020, Happy Reading!
“Abused,” by Rachel Haines (Rowman & Littlefield, April—The harrowing tales of sexual assault within the elite gymnastics world by a victim of Larry Nassar, a former U.S. national team doctor sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for serial child molestation.
“The Age of Football,” by David Goldblatt (W.W. Norton & Company, February)—Plumbs populist fervor connected to the game and against the backdrop of economic globalism. It’s a rather grim scenario in Goldblatt’s telling with autocrats like Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán linking their ambitions to the fate of the domestic game.
“All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters,” by Joe Namath (Little, Brown and Company, May)—Includes quite a bit of candor from the New York Jets icon, who’s now 75, including revelations about his alcoholism.
“Ballpark: Baseball in the American City,” by Paul Goldberger (Knopf, May)—The Pulitzer Prize-winning former architecture critic for The New York Times examines the history of baseball stadiums as they reflect their cities, including urban parks, transportation and community life.
“The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman,” by Harry Pearson (Bloomsbury Sport, May)—A meditation on Belgium’s rich cycling history with a journey through through the Flemish heartland, focusing on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix races in the springtime, and pedaling through backroads and stopping at beer cafes along the way.
“Best American Sports Writing 2019,” edited by Glenn Stout (Mariner Books, October)—Guest editor Charlie Pierce has chosen an eclectic mix of traditional athletic profiles (young 76ers star Joel Embiid), serious topics such as convicted sexual abuser and gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, and an off-the-beaten-path story about the Spanish long-distance runner and mountaineer Kilian Jornet.
“Black Boots and Football Pinks: 50 Lost Wonders of the Beautiful Game,” by Daniel Gray (Bloomsbury Sport, January)—A nostalgic look at bygone matter and memories of soccer in England, “the gritty stardust which made football sparkle.” These essays cover streakers, muddy goalmouths, paper tickets and the pink-tinged evening newspapers that loaded up on game coverage and features.
“Blood, Sweat and Tears” by Derrick E. White (University of North Carolina Press, August)—A profile of Jake Gaither, one of the acclaimed figures of black college football history, and the Rattlers of Florida A &M University, where he last coached 50 years ago.
“Bodies Built for Game,” edited by Natalie Diaz (University of Nebraska Press, October)—A sportswriting anthology that questions “the power structures that athletics enforce." Natalie Diaz, a former pro basketball player who teaches literature at Arizona State University, brings together poetry, short stories and essays in an examination of what draws competitors to sports.
“The Bounce and the Echo,” by Ian Johnson (Across the Margin, April)—A former pro basketball player in Europe writes about his effort to rediscover a sport he had become alienated from, and as a way to stave off depression and thoughts of suicide.
“The Capital of Basketball” by John McNamara (Georgetown University Press, November)—The book was completed by Andrea Chamblee, widow of the author, who was one of seven Annapolis Capital-Gazette staffers murdered in a 2018 newsroom shooting. Included are stories of the legendary figures of hoops in Washington, D.C., including high school standouts and future NBA pro stars Elgin Baylor and Dave Bing.
“The City Game,” by Matthew Goodman (Ballantine Books, November)—A fresh look at the City College of New York basketball point-shaving scandal in the early 1950s that led to the arrests of players of the Jaspers’ 1950 NCAA and NIT championship teams. Portraits of the players are sympathetic and nuanced, but legendary coach Nat Holman comes across as aloof and concerned primarily with his own career and reputation.
“Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump,” by Rick Reilly (Hachette Books April)—The Sports Illustrated veteran takes more than a few shots at the current American president as a figure on the links, many of them on his own courses, and what his exploits there say about his character in the Oval Office and beyond.
“Corked: Tales of Advantages in Competitive Sports,” by Brian Love and Michael Adams (Fifth Avenue Press, April)—What humans do to win in anything has always been the subject of immense fascination, and University of Michigan biomedical engineering and anesthesiology professors conclude the compulsions aren’t about cheating as much showing “how factors besides a player’s talent can affect a team’s performance.”
“The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business,” by Wright Thompson (Penguin, April)—The ESPN writer’s first collection includes stories about Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Bear Bryant, the Saints and Hurricane Katrina and football at Ole Miss.
“Curveball,” by Barry Zito (Thomas Nelson, September)— The former major league pitcher admits in his new memoir that he rooted against the Giants in the 2010 World Series after manager Bruce Bochy left him off the post-season roster, and how he’s remorseful about it now, in his new life and music career in Nashville.
“The Dizzy and Daffy Dean Barnstorming Tour,” by Phil Dixon (Rowman & Littlefield, August)—The 1934 extravaganza of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching stars and brothers against Negro Leagues players is chronicled by an African-American baseball historian and Negro Leagues Hall of Fame co-founder, who explored the social backdrop of race and media coverage in the Depression era.
“Dreamers & Schemers,” by Barry Siegel (University of California Press, October)—The growth and modernization of Los Angeles in the early 20th century was accelerated by the city’s pursuit of the 1932 Summer Olympics, featuring real estate mogul Billy Garland.
“Electrifying 80s: Footy’s Outrageous Decade in the Words of Its Best Writers,” edited by Russell Jackson (Slattery Media, June)—Profiles the men (and a few women) who chronicled what would become the end of a more than century-long era. The football wasn’t always so sizzling, but the book showcases the columnists and reporters who revolutionized coverage of the game at the height of the print medium.
“For the Good of the Game,” by Bud Selig (William Morrow, July)—The retired MLB commissioner writes about how he was “miserable” as Barry Bonds closed in on his home run record pursuit of Henry Aaron. The former Brewers owner did many positive things during his 20-year tenure leading the game, but his handling of the steroids saga figures to overshadow much else that he accomplished.
“Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher,” by David Cone (Grand Central Publishing, May)—The former pitcher admits to his vulnerable side following his 1999 perfect game for the Yankees against the Expos, and reveals other colorful off-the-field episodes.
“Game Misconduct” by Nathan Kalman-Lamb (Fenwood Publishing, April)—An exploration of when sports fans go over the line, mindful of the cheering in Toronto when Kevin Durant went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon in the NBA finals.
“Games of Deception,” by Andrew Maraniss (Philomel Books, November)—A history of the first Olympic basketball tournament in Berlin in 1936, when the U.S. defeated Canada, and was awarded the gold medal by James Naismith.
“Going to the Match: The Passion for Football,” by Duncan Hamilton (Hodder & Stoughton, March)—The noted British sports writer and author takes his title from a 1928 painting to explore the present-day experience of attending soccer matches, from the English Premier League to grassroots amateur circuits, and blends in observations about art, literature and politics to explain the game’s culture.
“Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin,” by Jean Fruth (Sports Publishing, June)—A photographer’s look at how many of the game’s greats got their start. Essays from players include Whitey Ford, Vladimir Guerrero, Hank Aaron, Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan, and the book features a full-color guide from their time on the sandlots to the big-league parks where they took center stage.
“The Great American Sports Page: A Century of Classic Columns from Ring Lardner to Sally Jenkins,” by John Schulian (Library of America, April)—Some of the most iconic pieces of nearly 50 masters of American sportswriting are collected here: W.C. Heinz, Jimmy Cannon, Red Smith, Dick Young, Jim Murray, Shirley Povich, Jerry Izenberg and many more.
“The Great Romantic: Cricket and the Golden Age of Neville Cardus,” by Duncan Hamilton (Hodder & Stoughton, July)—The William Hill Award-winning biography of the renowned cricket writer for the Manchester Guardian, whose prose elevated coverage of the sport for the masses in the years after World War I, and who also was a respected music critic.
“The Greatest Upset Never Seen,” by Jack Danilewicz (University of Nebraska Press, November)—The story of tiny Chaminade College of Hawaii knocking off Ralph Sampson and then-No. 1 Virginia in an early season college basketball game in 1982.
“I Like It Loud,” by Emmet Ryan (Self-Published, October)—The Irish hoopster writes about his experiences and the pro basketball game across Europe.
“In Sunshine or In Shadow,” by Donald McRae (Simon & Schuster)—The acclaimed boxing writer’s dive into the sport in Northern Ireland during The Troubles features the fighter Gerry Stoney and others trying to endure a world of sectarian violence and tragedy.
“Infinite Baseball: Notes from a Philosopher at the Ballpark,” by Alva Noë (Oxford University Press, April)—The author, a Cal-Berkeley professor, packs many compelling meditations in a short book: “We might dig and dig without ever striking the bedrock upon which our affection for baseball is built, but there is value in inquiry—especially in a game like baseball, which makes philosophers of us all."
“Last Seasons in Havana: The Castro Revolution and the End of Professional Baseball in Cuba,” by Cesar Brioso (University of Nebraska, March)—The days of baseball in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and how quickly the island game’s golden age dwindled under a totalitarian regime that enforced an amateur, state-sponsored model.
“The Last Stand of Payne Stewart,” by Kevin Robbins (Hachette, October)—Twenty years after the tragic death of the PGA golf star, his final year on the tour and his role in the memorable 1999 Ryder Cup is examined, as is his charismatic legacy.
“The Miracle of 1969: How the New York Mets Went from Lovable Losers to World Series Champions,” by Rich Coutinho (Sports Publishing, March)—The 50th anniversary season includes this memoirish treatment by the author, who was a 9-year-old boy swept up in the exploits of his favorite team at a time of great social upheaval in America.
“The Names Heard Long Ago,” by Jonathan Wilson (Bold Type, September)—A history of soccer in Hungary in the years after World War II, when the national team was one of the best in the world and featured all-time great Ferenc Puskás but could not win the World Cup, including a famous loss to a rejuvenated West Germany in the 1954 finals.
“The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Dreamed Big, Defied the Odds and Changed Soccer,” by Caitlin Murray (Abrams Press, April)—A full history that traces the humble roots of a U.S. program that won a record fourth Women’s World Cup title this summer, and has inspired the growth of women's soccer in many parts of the world.
“Oscar Charleston,” by Jeremy Beer (University of Nebraska Press, November)—The latest biography of the Negro Leagues luminary, who later was hired as the first black scout in Major League Baseball by Branch Rickey of the Dodgers as he looked to break the game's color line.
“Roaring Back,” by Curt Sampson (Diversion Press, October)—A chronicle of Tiger Woods’ recovery from injuries and the fallout of his public fame, climaxed by his win in the 2019 Masters, his first major title in 11 years.
“Sevens Heaven,” by Ben Ryan (Weidenfield & Nicholson)—The coach of Fiji’s Olympic rugby sevens team writes about his team’s improbable journey to the gold medal in the 2016 Rio Games, and how its victory resonated back in the Pacific island nation.
“Shea Stadium Remembered: The Jets, the Mets and Beatlemania,” by Matthew Silverman (Lyons Press, January)—Both teams playing in the Flushing stadium had glory years in 1969, but the first big hit there was a 1965 concert by a certain musical foursome from Liverpool that truly had the place rocking.
“Smokin’ Joe,” by Mark Kram Jr., (Ecco, June)—The long-awaited Joe Frazier biography examines the glittering, but often tormented journey of a prize fighter known for his rivalry with Muhammad Ali, and whose life was a complex tale of personal triumphs over adversity long before he stepped into a ring.
“State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation,” by Melissa Isaacson (Agate Midway, August)—The author, a former sportswriter at the Chicago Tribune and ESPN, recounts how her team won the Illinois state girls basketball championship in the years after the passage of Title IX, when resources were scarce and sex discrimination was rampant for female athletes.
“Strike Four: The Evolution of Baseball,” by Richard Hershberger (Rowman & Littlefield, March)—A baseball historian traces the sport’s development through rules changes and other innovations, a timely focus given Major League Baseball’s current efforts to “speed up” the game and appeal to a new generation of fans.
“Sunday in Hell: Behind the Lens of the Greatest Cycling Film of All Time,” by William Fotheringham (Penguin, March)—At the 1976 Paris-Roubaix Classic, Eddie Merkx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddie Maertens and Francesco Moser embarked on a memorable trek across northern France. Trailing right behind them was Danish film director Jørgen Leth. Fotheringham, a venerable cycling author, explains how the documentary became a one-day classic in its own right.
“They Bled Blue,” by Jason Turbow (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, June)—The story of the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the World Series in a strike-altered season and featured the pitching exploits of rookie lefthander Fernando Valenzuela.
“They Don’t Teach This,” by Eniola Aluko (Penguin UK, August)—The veteran of the English women’s soccer team, capped more than 100 times, pens a memoir that includes her celebrity as the first female pundit on the BBC’s “Match of the Day” program and her perspective as a female athlete of color.
“They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” by Wayne Coffey (Crown Archetype, March)—Another volume about the 1969 Amazin’ New York Mets, with an emphasis on how the once-forlorn franchise captured the heart of a baseball-mad city with the Yankees in decline, and more than a decade after the Giants and Dodgers moved to California.
“They Played the Game,” by Norman Macht (University of Nebraska Press, April)—An oral history of baseball as told by 47 former Major Leaguers, including Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn, Travis Jackson, George “High Pockets” Kelly, Ted Lyons, Hal Newhouser and Ted Williams.
“Three Seconds in Munich,” by David Sweet (University of Nebraska, September)—An account of the controversial ending of the 1972 Olympic basketball gold medal game. The author interviewed several of the U.S. players who have forever sworn to never accept silver medals.
“Tough Luck,” by R.D. Rosen (Atlantic Monthly Press, September)—The life of early-NFL quarterback star and future Hall of Famer Sid Luckman uncovers some unsavory stories about his father Meyer, a trucking business owner with mob ties who was sentenced to a long prison term in Sing Sing for the gangland murder of his brother-in-law.
* * * * * * * *
The Sports Biblio Digest is an e-mail newsletter delivered on Sunday. You can subscribe here and search the archives.
This is Digest issue No. 189, published Dec. 22, 2019.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the last newsletter of 2019 because of the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
I’d love to hear what you think about the Digest, and Sports Biblio. Send feedback, suggestions, book recommendations, review copies, newsletter items and interview requests to Wendy Parker at sportsbiblio@gmail.com.